CARMICHAEL 2ND AT ORLANDO SUPERCROSS

Team Makita Suzuki’s Ricky Carmichael increased his lead over Chad Reed in the Amp’d Mobile Supercross series after finishing second at Saturday night’s Orlando Supercross in America.

Carmichael ran second to winner James Stewart (Kawasaki) for the entire 20-lap Supercross Main event as Reed finished in fifth just behind Carmichael’s team mate Ivan Tedesco.

Said Carmichael: “I gave it my all tonight. I just didn’t have anything for James Stewart. It was frustrating. It’s too bad I couldn’t get up there and give the crowd a better race. I’ll have to go home and work a little harder on my Makita Suzuki RM-Z450.”

At the beginning of the evening, the two Makita Suzuki riders were paired together in the second Supercross-class heat race: Carmichael holeshotted the eight-lap qualifier and gapped the field to take the win. Tedesco also got a good start and walked away with a third-place finish.

“It’s good to be up here in front of you guys here in Orlando,” said Carmichael from the podium after his heat race. “This is my home state and I’m just really super-pumped to be up here.”

The 20-lap main even turned out to be a fairly simple affair, with Carmichael getting a good start and settling into second position before the end of the first lap and held onto that spot.

Tedesco also got a good start and moved quickly into third position behind Carmichael. The Supercross rookie stayed put until he was passed with one lap remaining.

Said Tedesco: “I felt really good for the first half of the race. Towards the end I got some arm pump and things just went downhill from there. But I’m looking forward to racing at Detroit next weekend because that’s where I got my first win.”

Likewise, Carmichael is excited about racing at the new Ford Field Stadium. He said: “It’s always nice to go somewhere new. We’ve raced at the Silverdome several times and it’s good to go to a new place. I’m looking forward to the race and to getting back on top of the box.”

In the Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP series, Carmichael still leads the points chase and Tedesco remains in fourth position overall.

SUZUKI SOCIAL

For your safety, always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing when riding any motorcycle or ATV. Never ride under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Study your owner's manual and always inspect your Suzuki before riding. Take a riding skills course. For the MSF street course nearest you, call 1-800-446-9227. Off-road riders can enroll in the DirtBike SchoolSM by calling 1-877-288-7093. ATV riders can call the SVIA at 1-800-852-5344 and we’ll even pay for the training. Suzuki engineered the GSX-Rs™, Hayabusa, and the QuadSport Z400 for experienced riders.

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